Folktales, Myths and Legends on Sculptors of South India
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Folktales, Myths and Legends on Sculptors of South India Balakrishna B.M. Hosangadi, Kannur University, India The Asian Conference on Literature 2017 Official Conference Proceedings Abstract History speaks on sculptures and silent on sculptors; whereas folktales take contradictory position towards this phenomenon. The folktales, Myths and legends on sculptors of south India narrate the dark shades of the life of sculptors. The present paper is intended to explore the tales from south India and hypothetically propose the four processes occurring in the narration of these stories: 1. Demonisation 2.Suppression 3.Marginalisation 4.Devaluation. So far, intensive studies have been carried out on the South Indian sculptures in scholarly texts. The major works have concentrated on the aesthetic elements of the sculptures rather than sculptors. So, finding the colossal void, present paper would discuss the narration. The paper is confined to the mythology of Thvastr-Vishwaroopa in Sanskrit and legends of Jakkana - Dankana in Kannada, Shambhu Kalkuda - Beera Kalkuda in Tulu, Raman Perunthacchan-Kannan Perunthacchan in Malayalam. These are the major mythological and legendary characters. The paper would use folktales, Myths and legends as primary sources and history works as secondary sources and it also would examine the adaptations of the folktales into theatrical, performing art form and cinematic works. A fraction between the history and the legend is observed: historians have started questioning the very existence of these legendary sculptors and at the same time, folklorists are placing the counter points. Reading the reflections over each other would provide the multiple layers of meanings. Keywords: Folktales on sculptors of south India, cultural study iafor The International Academic Forum www.iafor.org Introduction The irony of the history is in its selective narratives and total denial of the oral history on the grounds of evidences and plenty of questions are being raised against the historiography itself. The present paper is focusing on various processes occurring in the marginalized oral history of south India, particularly of sculptors. History speaks on sculptures and unspoken on sculptors; whereas folktales take incongruous position towards this trend. The folktales, Myths and legends on sculptors of south India narrate the dark shades of the life of sculptors. The four processes occurring in these tales are: 1. Demonization 2. Suppression 3. Marginalization 4. Devaluation So far, intensive studies have been carried out on South Indian sculptures in scholarly texts, which have concentrated on the aesthetic elements of the art rather than sculptors. So, observing the colossal void, present paper would discuss the oral narratives and is confined to the mythology of Thvastr-Vishwaroopa in Sanskrit and legends of Jakkana - Dankana in Kannada, Shambhu Kalkuda - Beera Kalkuda in Tulu, Perunthacchan and his son in Malayalam. The paper would use folktales, Myths and legends as primary sources and history texts as secondary and it also would examine the adaptations of the folktales into theatrical, performing art form and cinematic works. The relation of history and oral history is much more problematic as historians have already started questioning the very existence of these legendary sculptors and at the same time, folklorists have been placing the counter points. Reading the reflections of historians and folklorists over each other would provide the multiple layers of meanings. Details of life and achievements of the sculptors are the issues undiscovered by the history. Art-architectures and sculptures are the pageantry of the emperors of the land. Inscriptions, pillars, forts, temples, lakes tell the opulence of their regime. Sometimes the sculptor gets the patronage, at the same time the hegemony has demonized, suppressed, marginalized, and devaluated them. As narrated in The Orientalism (Edward Said, 2000, p5)1, The Idea, Culture and History cannot be studied without their original force. In concise, the original forces are the designs of the hegemony. The idea of demonization, suppression, marginalization and devaluation of sculptors are the ideas of the hegemony and these can be seen in Sanskrit and South Indian languages. History is a design of the hegemony and it recommends the proofs generated by the kings and rulers, in other words, it rejects the multi-faceted narratives. The Myths and legends burst the bubble of the single faceted narrative. It is a kind of conflict between history and Mythology. History narrates the story of the haves and folk tales tell the 1 Said Edward.(2000). The Orientalism. New Delhi: Penguin books story of the have not’s. If we have not read both facets of history and Legends, surely we will lose the great traditions of meanings. The sculptors, once the worshippers of Brahma, become the worshippers of Kaali can be read in lights hegemony. Sanskrit: Demonization Thvastr-Vishwaroopa Demonization of sculptors began in the Puranic period, social structure started shifting and disfiguring happened in the same period and it seems to be Jnaana or Knowledge and Karma or Action took diverse way. In Veda Mantras, particularly in Rig-Veda and Atharva-vedas, sculptor had occupied predominant role as Vishwashilpi or World-sculptor and in Puranic period he had been demonized and otherized. The longing for the highest power by the ruler was the reason behind it. As depicted in A history of India, The central force of the ancient Indian system was an emperor (Kulke and Rothermund, 2002, p6). 2 The Indra of the Vedas or the Emperor of the land, who was willing to expand his empire, had to eliminate his enemy and thus the horse sacrifice of Ashwamedha came to existence and either the enemy had to bow before the emperor or to fight and defeat him, at the same time internal enemies were demonized. Asura: God or the enemy of God? Wilkins W. J.(2012, p438-40)3, who studied the Hindu mythology in depth, throws light on the word Asura, its etymology and the transformation of meanings. In Earlier times the word Asura was used to mention the gods, and then turned to notify the enemies of gods, there after it was narrowed into the meaning of Demons. It seems to be, the word Asura had been used as both in positive and negative meanings. Towards the Goddess worshipping In Vedas, sculptors were worshippers of Brahma, later they began to Worship Kaali; reason for this can be defined as countering hegemony. Interesting thing is that, so called hegemonic culture was also having the vestiges of violence in various forms like Bali-Ahuthi-Tharpana. Vedic texts, particularly, Rgveda Suktas consider Thvastr as the generator of the world. `Ya Ima vishwa bhuvanani..’ are very popular (Griffith, 1896, Mandal 10, Sukta 81-82)4. Thvastr is being hailed in Rgveda Suktas as equal as Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Agni, Soma are being hailed. `Thvastr is the Vaastuthajna or Architect of gods. He is the constructor of many places of heaven. War mongering gods are indebted to him. Brahmanaspathi or God of fire’s axe is sharpened by him; he created Vajrayudha or weapon for indhra. He is very closer to human beings- these are descriptions seen about Thvastr.’ (Wilkins, 2012, p75) 5 2 Kulke, Hermann. & Rothermund, Dietmar. (2002). A History of India. London: Routledge Publication. 3 Wilkins W. J.(2012). Hindu Mythology, NewDelhi: Rupa Publication. 4 Griffit, Rolf Thomas Hatchkin. (1896). The Rgveda. sacredtext.com 5 Wilkins W. J. ( 2012). Hindu Mythology. NewDelhi: Rupa Publication. Creating the intimate enemy In the Puranic age, the sculptor narratives took the way of demonization. The skills of the sculptors become the curse to them. The Puranas narrate how they have been demonized by the hegemonic power. `In VishnuPurana, Thvastr is the master of many arts, Machine maker to gods, designer of jewels, the head of the artists, Sculptor of the self starting chariots of gods. According to the fifth cantos of vishnuPurana, Vishnu managed the duty of Brahma. That means Vishnu Purana gives the right evidence of marginalization of Brahma. The Sixth Canto reveals the Chaturvarnya or the four castes (Dutt Manmathnatha,1896, p174)6. `In some parts he(VishwaShilpi) is called Brahma. In pictures, he is portrayed as Brahma…Vedic hymns recognized him as a creater and protector. But later texts have given him a lower status. Brahma becomes creator, Vishnu becomes protector. And Thvastr become servant of the both.( Wilkins, 2002, p406-8)7 Wilkins recognized how the Thvastr’s position was downscaled and how he become the servant, but did not consider the process in a serious manner. Competition, jealousy, killing, revenge-are narrated here. Equal share to Gods and demons and Asuras was the viewpoint of Vishwaoopa and therefore he becomes an intimate enemy to Indra. This is the reason for the death of Vishwaoopa and Such an anxiety is also the reason and inspiration for demonizing the sculptors. Sethubandha of Ramayana and Mayasabha of Mahabharatha Valmiki Ramayana has depicted Monkey king Nala as the son of Vishwakarma. Nalas episode comes in the Sethubandha context in Ramayana (Griffith, 1895, p444-45)8. `Ramayana depicted Neela as one who came out of the fire. He has the special aura. He is more powerful and skillful than his own father(Wilkins, (2012, p 408 )’9. In the Sabhakriya parva or canto of the Vyasa Mahabharatha, Krishna says to Maya that `Construct an auditorium as you like it… O Dithiputrhra, if you want to give justice to Yudistira, just build a palace for him. Construct the unimitable palace. May it be having the designs of Deva/Devine-Asura/Demon-Manava/Human says Krishna. Thus Maya builds palace at Khandavaprastha( Ganguly, 2003, Sabhakriya Parva, Chapter 1.)10. The sculptors belonged to Harappan culture and were also localities. Aryans, who came later, might have dominated them. Aryans applied the `Apavithra Siddhaantha ‘ or `theory of Impurity’ to the skills of sculptors.